King of the Beach
by Lord of Judgement
Summary: Gaius was about to become the king of Ajur. That much was obvious. But what else was he a king of?


**Pairings: **Gaius/Wingul

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _Tales of Xillia_.

**Author's note**: For** Yume Hanabi** who challenged me this time. :D

List of names I keep from the original:

Auj Oule - Ajur  
Kanbalar - Khan Baliq  
Long Dau - Londau

* * *

**KING OF THE BEACH**

It was hot in Kijara Seafalls early in Efreeta, but for once Wingul welcomed the heat because it provided a perfectly reasonable excuse for why he was sweating profusely in his long white tunic: The problem must have been the sweltering ardor of the sun in its zenith, the clothes, and the heat of the sand, but not the sight which was in front of his eyes. Wingul shook his head disapprovingly and pretended he wasn't looking, only this tactic proved itself less and less effective the longer he refused to glance in Gaius's direction. It was a riveting sight, Gaius clothed only in beachwear which was as revealing as it could get without exposing any body parts which were socially unacceptable to expose and his young commander appeared almost as naked as his mother bore him. From that thought Wingul's throat felt dry although he had just drained a glass of water. There was finesse and elegance in his form, strength. He didn't have an extra ounce around his stomach or in his thighs and his smooth sun-tanned skin begged for a touch – no, for a more reverent treatment with a tongue. He would lick every inch of it if he could. He was beginning to slip into a dream-like state and the brightness of the sun only exacerbated this... temporary dimness of mind, this aberration. While Gaius was taking a stroll along the waterline, Wingul sat idly, fully clothed, thinking rather pathetic thoughts because he would rather sweat and think pathetic thoughts than dare to undress and show his body, or lack thereof, in daylight.

He brought another glass of cold water to his lips and drained it in one gulp. "Nils, make a sandwich for me with cold chicken and tomatoes, please."

Of course, there was Nils, there was always Nils, but it wasn't his fault for being a constant distraction from a very pleasant dream. Nils wore his beachwear and he was also built sturdily, Wingul could acknowledge that, but somehow he didn't find him as attractive. There was nothing in his blond, blue-eyed servant that matched the majestic bearing of his superior. Gaius had the right to flaunt his body, it would be almost a sacrilege not to. And then Gaius, with that perfect figure of his, claimed to have found _his_ body, which was all too thin and frail, attractive. The world was fully of irony.

"Nils, do you think it is important to be very attractive... or at the very least, be of pleasant appearance?"

"M'lord, that is a very odd question. What does it matter? If you continued ruling the Londau clan, as you should have been, you'd marry a woman from a noble family regardless of her outward appearance." Maybe, he was lucky he wasn't the patriarch any longer and exchanged his real name for Wingul. "And although I am certain many women would find you charming and attractive, your power would be more solid a foundation for a marriage."

"So you don't believe in love..."

"No, no m'lord, I do... I do!" Nils mumbled in confusion. "But love for royalties is a luxury. Now... now I am not sure what you should decide. Tradition does not provide answers for fallen patriarchs."

"Maybe, it's for the best. I am free to fall in love now..." He mused dreamily, shifting his eyes towards the shore where Gaius bent over a boulder and picked up something: A seashell, perhaps, or a small stone. Then he hurled it into the water and dove in. Wingul would pay a significant amount of gald to be at that moment with Gaius, bathing in cool lucid water.

"I am sure you'll find happiness with a good woman. Perhaps, it's a great idea to settle down and leave the service of..."

"Nils, please... You know I have no intentions of settling down."Wingul passed his hand over the stubborn tress, twining it around his finger, untwining it, and let go of it to cover a yawn. "I think of hypothetical circumstances, I am not in love with anyone and I don't think I ever will be." He threw another glance at the black dot in the distance which was Gaius; he surrendered to his desires, but was it love? Or was it momentary confusion, infatuation – a whimsical mistress of fate which never had the power over him until now? Wingul wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face in the silken white cloth of his fine tunic. It was hot, but he was quivering and his heart was throbbing unevenly in his chest. "Why, Nils? Why can't I take advantage of my own freedom?"

"What are you taking about, m'lord?"

"Freedom and love... and misery..."

"Wingul! Nils! Why don't you join me?" There was a crunch of sand and cold droplets fell on his skin as he stirred. Gaius seemed to be glowing from within and Wingul averted his face; it was the sun in his eyes, it must have been. "Wingul, you are still fully clothed. You must be suffocating from heat..."

"I'm fine, I don't want to get a sun burn. My skin is too pale."

"That's a petty excuse." Straightforwardly, sternly, like an order, and Wingul crinkled his nose. "You can't be afraid of some sun burn and deny yourself the pleasantries of such a beautiful day. We are returning to Khan Baliq soon and you'll be spending plenty of days, freezing inside."

"M'lord isn't in the mood to swim," echoed Nils.

Wingul shrank into himself, wishing Gaius would leave again so that, with his cheeks aglow, he could resume watching him from afar, his perfection unchallenged in that unattainable distance and bright, blinding sunlight.

"Wingul."

"I-I..." It felt unbearably awkward to speak his mind in Nils's presence.

"M'lord isn't..."

"Nils, gather some wood or dry reed for a fire. I don't want to eat a cold meal."

When Nils reluctantly left, seething with indignation, Gaius heaved a sigh of relief and seated himself on the blanket.

"I don't feel like swimming today. It's too hot. You go ahead, I will not impede your..."

"You must be suffocating in that long tunic and the water is refreshing. It won't do you any good to sit all day and worry about the sun." A few moments passed in silence, but Wingul refused to look at Gaius. "Very well... I won't urge you to swim if you really aren't in the mood."

And so he was gone and Wingul, with ennui, watched him leave. He wasted his freedom on petty worries and unjustified cowardice and delusions, waiting until fate would do a favor for him, as if he didn't know that in his world he simply needed to take what he wanted himself – truly, a pitiful waste. Wingul bit his lip, pushing himself off the ground. Perfection, too, was a delusion for a mind too feeble to deal with cracks and flaws of sober reality. And, Spirits be his witness, he was anything but feeble. It was another challenge he had to accept...

...Only Gaius seemed to have his own outlook on Wingul's refusal. He used a lesser water arte and the fresh salty seawater gushed down onto his head in a small torrent. Soaked to the bone and scandalized, Wingul ran towards the shore, slipping on the hot sand and cursing the heavy clothes which impeded his every move. "Gaius!" He cried out. "You're taking liberties with me! What's the meaning of this? "

"Say, Wingul," Gaius didn't even bat an eyelid, "can you beat me to that small island over there? You see... there..."

"I-I... I certainly can!"

"Say not so! I don't believe you. In that wet heavy clothes of yours you're slower than a sea turtle."

Incensed by Gaius behavior and teasing, Wingul forgot about his misgivings and pulled off the tunic; the rest of the garments followed and he jumped into the azure sea. Gaius was already half length ahead, but Wingul was not discouraged by this small advantage. Of course, Gaius was at the island first, but he immediately suggested a rematch, touching the sand at the same moment Gaius outstretched his arm to claim his victory. Breathing heavily and spitting out salty water, Wingul staggered out of the sea and sprawled on the beach. The water was pleasantly cool against his skin.

"Are you giving up?"

"Don't even dream of it, I am not!" He mumbled in response, but didn't make an effort to move. "Let me rest... a bit."

"We both know I won..."

"No, we don't... you do." Wingul leaped to his feet and started running, but Gaius overtook him, seized him by the elbow and together they fell into the knee-high water. Wingul bruised his hand, but he swam against Gaius again and honorably lost to the youth's resilience and athleticism. He wasn't frustrated, he was too tired to feel anything. His muscles ached and his chest heaved heavily. "All right, I'll admit defeat... for now."

Gaius shifted closer; his skin was wet when Wingul brushed his fingers against it. They lay in shallow water mere inches apart and Gaius kept gazing at him through heavy wet tresses with a strange expression in his eyes, intense yet unfamiliar. Why now? Was he that attractive to awaken his passion so quickly? The sun above them passed the zenith and it wasn't bright any longer.

The temptation to touch him was too strong. Gaius's skin was cool and salty on Wingul's tongue, his nipples hardened between Wingul's lips and he momentarily wondered if he was imagining again. If so, then it was a very good dream, very vivid and very warm dream.

"Will you swim with me again?" Gaius asked between kisses, plunging his hand into a mess of Wingul's wet hair.

"I will," he whispered before Gaius's tongued slipped into his mouth. "I will," he repeated, squeezing his fingers around the head of Gaius's member. "I will," he breathed into the groove of Gaius's neck, flustered and aroused as on the night his commander kissed him for the first time.

_Of course, he will... later..._

_..._Somehow they managed to return before Nils did. Gaius must have known he gave his servant a very hard assignment.


End file.
